Zhou Rui licked the lingering sweetness from the corner of his lips, shook his head with a chuckle, and turned to push open his bedroom door.
" The Jiang Family of Chuan Province had been established for over a century long before the advent of the Eternity Game."
"After the game was launched, a large number of members of the clan entered the game, created characters, and explored dungeons."
"As the game and reality truly merged, a large number of professionals emerged in the Jiang Family, with many even reaching the peak of the third job advancement."
"Relying on this group of powerful professionals, the Jiang Family, which already had a deep foundation, is developing at an increasingly rapid pace."
"Weapon forging, magic scrolls, rare medicinal herbs, alchemical potions... After hundreds of years of accumulation, the Jiang Family's mark can be seen in almost every industry related to professionals."
"It has numerous subsidiaries, including Limit Technology Co., Ltd.., Thunder Equipment Co., Ltd.., etc..."
In the bedroom.
Zhou Rui meticulously reviewed all publicly available information about the Jiang Family, to which Jiang Churan belonged, that he found online.
Now that he Jiang Churan, it was only natural for him to find out the details of her family, how deep their foundation was, how extensive their influence was, and how powerful they were.
The webpage content wasn't lengthy; he read it through in less than two minutes.
" The Jiang Family of Chuan Province... is indeed no ordinary family."
After getting a general idea, Zhou Rui spoke softly, his tone somewhat solemn.
All the families that had established themselves before the arrival of the Eternity Game and had stood the test of time for hundreds of years were established forces with profound heritage and solid foundations.
The Jiang Family is a typical example.
The online resources only provide a rough outline, and the exact number of highly skilled professionals is vague.
But Zhou Rui knew in his heart that there was more than one professional in the entire Jiang Family who had broken through the level 60!
"Even at the height of the Zhou Family's power, the Jiang Family could not compare."
"What I never expected was that the Jiang Family would actually be holding Limit Technology and Thunder Equipment..."
Both of these companies are giants spanning multiple countries!
In terms of fixed assets alone, any one of them exceeds one trillion Blue Star coins!
It should be noted that Blue Star Coins are the legal tender circulating throughout Blue Star, and their exchange rate with Zhongxia Coins is 1:10, meaning 1 Blue Star Coin can be exchanged for 10 Zhongxia Coins.
This alone is enough to give you an idea of just how enormous the size of these two companies is.
And they all belong to the Jiang Family...
"Winning the Jiang Family's approval is probably harder than climbing to heaven," Zhou Rui muttered to himself with a wry smile.
What kind of extraordinary talents haven't this family, with its centuries-old lineage, seen in its descendants?
They themselves had personally experienced that golden age of brilliant stars!
For these families, when their children choose a spouse, what they value most is never the feelings involved, but rather the weight or influence behind the other person.
Zhou Rui's background was not exactly humble, but it wasn't particularly distinguished either.
Teacher Wang Hui can be considered a powerful backer, and the Tianlan Zhou Family can also be considered a background.
For ordinary professionals, these two are already figures to be looked up to.
However, compared to the Jiang Family, it did seem rather inadequate.
"There's always a way out. Churan and I are just getting started; worrying about these things now is premature."
"The most urgent task is to improve our strength."
Strength is the true passport.
When you stand at a high enough position, even the most powerful forces and the most ancient families are nothing more than fleeting clouds passing before your eyes.
Zhou Rui understood this perfectly.
He took a deep breath, quickly washed up, turned over, lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Tomorrow is the decisive battle of the team competition. As long as we beat Modu University, the Champion is basically in the bag...
The next morning, Zhou Rui got up before six o'clock.
First, I ran 20 kilometers around the Modu University track and field, then returned to the training room on the fourth floor of the villa to begin my daily routine training.
In less than half an hour, all items met the requirements, and the system notification sounded immediately.
[Long-distance running (20KM/20KM)]
[Power Jump (200/200)]
[Push-ups (200/200)]
[Daily task completed. You can claim your reward from the following options.]
[Reward 1: Gain 10 free attribute points.]
[Reward 2: Gain 10 skill points.]
[Reward 3: One random skill book.]
[Reward 4: One random treasure chest.]
"Choose reward 1, 10 free attribute points."
Without the slightest hesitation, he confirmed it immediately.
The additional 10 points will then be evenly distributed among the four basic attributes.
With the attribute points settled, a sense of solidity seemed to have been added to his body, making him subtly stronger.
"I consistently get 10 points of free attribute every day. If I put all of them into one stat, I'd probably have over a thousand points already."
He had previously considered doing what most professionals do: focusing solely on the two attributes of strength and intelligence.
After much deliberation, I decided to give up.
Firstly, while specializing in two skills can significantly increase output, it will noticeably hinder stamina and movement speed, making the current balanced approach far more reliable.
Secondly, if two attributes are indeed raised to over 500, while the other two remain unchanged, such abnormally high values at level 22 would be too conspicuous.
His current four attributes are all above 350. If he focuses on increasing two of them, they will soon both break through 500...
This goes beyond the realm of mere "genius" and is highly likely to attract the attention of certain special departments, or even lead to an "in-depth discussion."
After weighing the pros and cons, he ultimately insisted on average growth across all four dimensions.
Of course, as a paladin, strength and intelligence are still slightly higher than physique and agility, but the difference is kept within a reasonable range.
"Phew, all done training. Time for a shower."
He let out a long breath, left the training room, grabbed his change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, the sweat was gone, his school uniform was clean, and Zhou Rui walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed.
To his surprise, as soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Jiang Churan out of the room.
"Brother Zhou Rui!"
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up, and she immediately took long strides, skipping over to his side in a few steps, her smile as sweet as melting honey.
Why did you get up so late today?
Zhou Rui smiled and gently ruffled her soft hair.
She should have woken up at 6:30 as usual.
It's already eight o'clock, a full hour and a half late...
"N-nothing... I just didn't sleep well last night."
Jiang Churan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Of course, she wouldn't tell you that she had talked with her best friend Xia Lan about everything that happened last night, and was so excited that she tossed and turned until three or four in the morning before finally falling asleep... "Insomnia? Then I'll give you a Slow Healing before you go to sleep tonight."
Slow Healing is an exclusive skill that Zhou Rui unlocks when he becomes a Paladin at First Stage.
The instructions state: It can repair physical wounds.
However, after repeated trials, Zhou Rui discovered that this skill could not only heal injuries but also soothe tense nerves, help people dispel fatigue, and calm their minds, with surprisingly stable effects.
"Um!"
Jiang Churan nodded vigorously, a sweet smile curving her lips. "I'll take a shower first, then we'll go downstairs together."
"Good."
Another twenty minutes passed.
Just after 8:30, Jiang Churan showering and changed into the neat black short skirt school uniform of Suhang University. The two then walked downstairs side by side.
"Today's team battle opponent is Modu University! If we beat them, we'll be the team Champion!"
"That's right! If you get first place, everyone will receive 3000 credits!"
"This is just the school's reward; the Xia Yan Professional Alliance will also provide additional rewards!"
"Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"
"..."
In the living room on the first floor of the villa, the rest of the Suhang University team members had already arrived, including Liu Yang.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairwell, and Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan came down one after the other.
Unlike usual, Jiang Churan naturally holding Zhou Rui's left forearm, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy.
This scene startled everyone in the living room, but they quickly realized what was happening and began to joke around:
" Brother Rui, Sister Ran, is this finally an official announcement?"
"Haha, so many girls have been asking me for Brother Rui's WeChat lately! I was worried for Ran-jie, but now I'm completely relieved!"
Congratulations!
"..."
After spending several months together, the team members had become very familiar with each other.
Everyone knows that Jiang Churan has feelings for Zhou Rui.
So seeing the two holding hands, their eyes shining, no one was surprised; there was only sincere congratulations.
Liu Yang went even further, letting out a strange shout, " Brother Rui, Sister Ran, I wish you both a son soon!"
As soon as she said that, Jiang Churan's ears turned red, and she lowered her head and pursed her lips.
Zhou Rui merely raised an eyebrow, glanced over, and didn't speak. Liu Yang, however, quickly backed down as if burned:
"Ahem, Brother Rui, I was wrong!"
"You're so forgiving, please forgive me this time! Or should I show you a newly learned spell right here and now?"
He then actually pulled out his staff.
Stop messing around!
Zhou Rui glared at him, and Liu Yang immediately chuckled and stuffed the staff back into his bag.
Zhou Rui then turned to Song Xialan and the others, his tone calm. "Last night, Xiao Ran and I strolled around the Gourmet Paradise in Eastern District and found a really authentic restaurant. Tonight at six o'clock, it's my treat, let's all go out for a meal together."
Wow, Brother Rui so generous!
"We just won against Modu University today, so this is a celebration dinner!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"..."
Amidst laughter, the group walked out with ease.
The National University Freshman Exchange Tournament starts promptly at 9:00 AM every day.
It was 8:35 when the team from Suhang University stepped out of the villa.
Outside the gate, many school teams had gathered in twos and threes on the open ground to warm up and chat.
Good morning, Zhou Rui!
As the Hancheng University team passed by, Professor Zhu Yu nodded slightly to Zhou Rui.
Zhou Xiaobai even took the initiative to wave and greet him.
Several students who had previously competed against Liu Yang, Cai Hua, and others smiled and nodded in greeting.
As everyone was chatting and walking outside, Dean Wu Mang arrived with three teachers, including Su Mei.
As a third-level expert, he could immediately see the unusual intimacy between Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan.
But he didn't ask any more questions, nor did he frown, since according to the laws of Central Xia Country, one could register for marriage at the age of eighteen.
Turning his gaze away, Wu Mang's voice was steady and powerful:
Today is the seventh round of the team competition.
"Our opponent is Modu University, which is also among the top universities!"
"Winning this match will secure the team championship for us!"
With both team and individual titles in hand, even if we don't win first place in the survival competition, our overall score will definitely be number one!
"Therefore, let's go all out and take down Modu University!"